Ravongla, Jan 30 (ANI): In a bid to prevent a further outbreak of bird flu in the South Sikkim district of Ravongala Municipality, a total of 4129 birds have been culled. The culling operations have ended.

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries had notified the outbreak of bird flu at the Hospital Road locality of Ravongla on January 19.

The authorities took instant action and deployed 110 animal health workers to cull the infected birds. Health workers were kept on chemoprophylaxis to protect them from any infection.

A house-to-house human surveillance of upto three kilometers is being covered each day. An Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) case was discovered. However, no one has any history of exposure to the infection.

Larger areas from three to ten kilometers are covered in phases. 9895 people were inspected on Jan 28 alone. Twelve cases of Upper Respiratory Infection were identified but none of them had exposure to the infected poultry.

An identified primary healthcare center at Ravongla discovered another twelve cases having URI fever having no exposure history.

Further steps have been taken to prevent the deadly disease. Isolation facilities have been set up at PHC Ravongla.

Critical care treatment facility has been made effective in STNM Hospital to the national Capital, Gangtok. Two ventilators have been supplied by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) to strengthen this centre.

The state Government has issued an IEC in the local language to the local print and visual media.

The government has also stocked adequate stock of Oseltamivir and Public Protective Equipment (PPE) within the State.

Daily reports are received from the Control Room established in Ravongla and the central rapid response team from MOHFW is assisting the local health authorities in dealing with the deadly disease. Till now, no human case of avian influenza has been suspected. (ANI)